Great Synagogue (Tbilisi)

Great Synagogue
Georgian: დიდი სინაგოგა
Exterior of the synagogue in 2020
Religion
AffiliationOrthodox Judaism
Rite
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusSynagogue
StatusActive
Location
Location45-47 Kote Afkhazi (former Leselidze) Street, Tbilisi
CountryGeorgia
Great Synagogue (Tbilisi) is located in Georgia
Great Synagogue (Tbilisi)
Location of the synagogue in Georgia
Geographic coordinates41°41′24″N 44°48′26″E / 41.69°N 44.80727°E / 41.69; 44.80727
Architecture
TypeSynagogue architecture
Style
Completed1911
Specifications
Length24.5 metres (80 ft)
Width15 metres (49 ft)
Height (max)14 metres (46 ft)
MaterialsBrick
[1]
For similarly named synagogues, see Great Synagogue.

The Great Synagogue (Georgian: დიდი სინაგოგა), also known as the Georgian Synagogue, is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 45-47 Kote Afkhazi Street (formerly Leselidze Street) in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Built between 1904 and 1911, it is the largest synagogue in the country and serves as the central house of worship for the city’s Jewish community.

History

Interior of the synagogue’s ground floor

In the late 19th century, Georgian Jews from Akhaltsikhe settled in the Kvemo Kala quarter of Tbilisi. In 1877, they converted a private house into a synagogue, which became known locally as the “synagogue of the people of Akhaltsikhe.” By 1899 the building had fallen into disrepair and was demolished by government order.

Construction of a new synagogue began in 1904 and was completed in 1911. The red-brick, two-storey structure combines Neo-Moorish and Neo-Romanesque elements, and the premises include a ritual bath (mikveh). The building underwent restoration in 2011–2012.[2][3][4]

Other synagogues in Tbilisi include the Ashkenazi Synagogue (Beit Rachel), which remains active; the former Ashkenazi Old (First, Soldiers') Synagogue at 10 Anton Katalikosi (Gia Abesadze) Street, completed in 1918 in the Romanesque Revival style and later converted into a theatre;[5] and the domed former Ashkenazi New (Second) Synagogue at 3 Anton Katalikosi Street, completed in 1915 and now repurposed as a Jewish museum, the David Baazov Museum of History of Jews of Georgia.[6][7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Great Synagogue of Jews from Akhaltsikhe (Georgian Synagogue) in Tbilisi". Historic Synagogues of Europe. Foundation for Jewish Heritage and the Centre for Jewish Art at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. n.d. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  2. ^ "THE GREAT SYNAGOGUE OF TBILISI". Atinati.com. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Tbilisi Synagogues". JewishGen Kehila Links. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  4. ^ "New (Second) Synagogue in Tbilisi". Historic Synagogues of Europe. Foundation for Jewish Heritage and the Centre for Jewish Art at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. n.d. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  5. ^ "Old (First, Soldiers') Synagogue in Tbilisi". Historic Synagogues of Europe. Foundation for Jewish Heritage and the Centre for Jewish Art at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. n.d. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  6. ^ "New (Second) Synagogue in Tbilisi". Historic Synagogues of Europe. Foundation for Jewish Heritage & The Center for Jewish Art, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. n.d. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  7. ^ "David Baazov Museum of History of the Jews of Georgia and Georgian-Jewish Relations". Georgian Museums. Retrieved 18 August 2025.

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